Cycle



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CYCLE STAND.

' No. 556,789. Patented Mar. 24, 1896.

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T. H. WALKER.

CYCLE STAND. No. 556,789. Patented Mar. 24, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS ll. IVALKER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CYC LE..-STAN D.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 556,789, dated March 24, 1896.

Application filed March 20. 1895. Serial No. 542,500. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. WALKER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Gycle-Stand, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a simple, inexpensive, and light yet strong stand for cycles, and one which will support a pneumatic-tire machine in an upright position without binding on the tire.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of my cycle-stand as arranged for use. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same folded to occupy a small space when not in use. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the stand. Fig. 4: is a vertical section of a modification. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modification; and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6, Fig. 5.

The stand comprises two main parts, a base portion A and an upright portion B, the base portion A being designed to support the weight of the wheel, while the upright portion I3 is designed to maintain the wheel in an upright position.

The main portions of the frame of the stand may be made of wire rods, bent to the desired shape, as in the constructions shown in Figs. 1 to i, or of castings, as in the constructions illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.

I will first describe the stand shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The frame of the base-piece may be made out of a single rod bent up into a U shape, with the bend a turned down to form a foot-piece to support the parallel legs a a at a little distance above the surface of the ground. The other ends of these legs a. are connected to a brace-piece D, which may convenientlybe made of sheetmetal. This brace may form in effect part of the base of the stand. The frame of the upright portion 13 of the stand may also be made out of a single red bent up, as to its upper part, into a U shape, with substantially parallel legs I), while below these logs are spread out, as at Z2, Fig. 1, and provided with inwardly extending feet 72 which are connected to the brace-piece D. This connection with the brace-piece is preferably a hinge at y, so that not only may the upright portion B of the stand be folded over onto the base portion, as illustrated in Fig. 2, to reduce the space it occupies when not in use, but also so that the two parts of the stand may be self-accommodating to the diameter of the wheel which it is to support, as hereinafter explained.

I make the wheel-supporting notch in my upright supporting-piece of a wide strap or shoe S, which may conveniently be formed of sheet metal or stiffened canvas or other suitable material. Such a strap may be connected to the upright portion B byhaving its ends secured around the legs I) l), as illustrated in the drawings, or may have a pivotal connection thereto, as illustrated with reference to the shoes or straps on the base portion, as hereinafter explained. The base portion maybe provided with one or two of these shoes. I prefer to use two, as shown at S and S in the drawings, and although these shoes in the base portion may be attached to the frame as described with reference to the shoe or strap S or as illustrated in the modification, Fig. a, I prefer to pivot the shoes S and S, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, so that these shoes become self-accommodating to the size of the wheel to be supported. I prefer to make these straps or shoes, whether pivoted or not, adjustable on the parallel legs a a and I) b of the frame, but with such friction that they will stay in any position to which they are forcibly adjusted.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 4 the shoes or straps S and S are shown as not 'pivotally connected to the frame of the base port-ion, but made with inclined or curved bottoms to conform more or less to the diameter of the wheel. The outer shoe, S may have a ton guc .5 connecting it with the downwardly-bent portion a of the base-frame; but whether such construction be used or not care should be taken in all the constructions to have the outer shoe at a sufficient distance from the end a of the base-frame that the wheel in being rolled into the stand will ride up onto the front crossbar on the ground at the end a of the base before it strikes the first shoe. If this were not so, the wheel in striking the shoe as it rolled into the stand, which is quite light, would tend to simply push the stand ahead of it. IVhen the wheel has been rolled into the frame the three shoes will accommodate themselves to the diameter of the wheel by reason of the pivoting together of the base portion and upright portion at 1 so that the upright portion can rock on the heels w of the upright portion of the frame.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 the frame is made of castings. The base portion A is made of a single bar, preferably o1": L-section, asshown in Fig. 6, and with a downwardly-bent front foot-piece and cross-bar (L The back end of this base-piece A is hinged at y to the forwardly-projecting part b of the upright portion B of the stand.

This upright portion consists of a single standard carrying the shoe or strap S and a foot-piece b of such a nature as to give the stand the necessary stability. The shoes S S on the base are shown as swiveled to hangers h h, hooked onto the bar of the base-piece and adjustable lengthwise of the latter.

It will thus be seen that the modification shown in Figs. 5 and G is in all essential respects similar to the construction previously described, except that one of the bars of the base portion and of the upright portion has been dispensed with. This will have the advantage of allowing of a more complete exhibition of the cycle in the stand. In the device shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the back of the foot-piece Z2 constitutes a heel on which, like the heel x, Figs. 1 and 3, the stand mayrock to make the several shoes self-adjusting to the wheel. In both cases the base portion always rests at its front end (aor ta upon the ground and in an approximately horizontal position. 7

I claim as my invention 1. A cycle-stand, comprising a base portion having separately-pivoted shoes to support the weight of the wheel, in combination with an upright portion having a Wide strap or shoe with which the wheel engages, to be maintained in an upright position.

2. A cycle-stand, comprising a base portion with two substantially parallel rods carrying two adjustable straps or shoes, in combination With an upright portion having its upper part with substantially parallel rods carrying a strap or shoe, while the lower parts are spread outward, and have inwardly-proj ecting feet, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS H. XVALKER. lVitnesses:

CHAS. A. WIGGINs, J AS. H. M. HAYES. 

